Nearly Dan

(Triple Door) People hate on Steely Dan, but they represent the zenith of a peculiar brand of rock: one informed by cynical Beat poetry, smooth jazz-funk fusion moves, indelible popwise hooks, and coke-fueled studio perfectionism. To dedicate your musical life to tackling Donald Fagen and Walter Becker's songbook takes formidable chops and hours of painstaking rehearsals; it's dirty work, but somebody (somehow) has to do it. Seattle's Nearly Dan have accepted that challenge and have managed to execute those structurally tricky, melodically sophisticated songs with panache. You can catch the 12-strong group at Triple Door for a fraction of the price that the real deal—who are still awesome live, by the way—commands. DAVE SEGAL

Yuni in Taxco, Fuzzy Cloaks, Neighbors, M. Women

(Chop Suey) The night before Thanksgiving is way underrated for going out. Relatively little is expected of you during tomorrow's early morning hours, and the day's plan consists mostly of eating a large meal before kicking back in front of the TV and maybe taking a nap. Not a bad day to be hungover, really. Why not earn that hangover at Chop Suey while watching a solid bill of local talent? Yuni in Taxco headline with their sunny guitar psych pop, but show up early for the lo-fi fuzz of openers Fuzzy Cloaks and M. Women. The former's smoked-out slacker-rock vibe is decidedly different from the latter's more upbeat, punkish approach, bu t both bands kick out righteous, reverb-heavy jams. MIKE RAMOS

The Staxx Brothers, Manooghi Hi, the Productionists

(Nectar) I've got your cure for seasonal affective disorder right here—they're called the Staxx Brothers, and their cheeky brand of "hard ass soul" will have you grinning like a fool and shaking your groove thing in no time flat. Killer musicianship meets flamboyant showmanship (complete with two awesome backup singers, the Staquellettes) to create a kind of rock-n-roll-gospel-freak-party extravaganza. They're so much fun that after five days of dodging musicians attempting to give me their CD at SXSW, I almost took out the woman in front of me to grab a copy of their album. No lie. BARBARA MITCHELL

VNV Nation, Straftanz

(Showbox at the Market) For the past 16 years, VNV Nation have achieved cultlike status by offering monster-sized servings of thinking person's industrial, spicing up the harsh beats with lush orchestration and synth-pop subtleties. Fans of everything from trance to EBM and electro pop will find something danceable throughout their newest release, Automatic, the group's 11th release. Unlike much of the industrial underground, VNV Nation have always provided a dose of melodic accessibility alongside the darkness. Germany's Straftanz provide the perfect opening for this show, fusing everything from trance to metal into a melting pot of bombast. KEVIN DIERS

Hot Bodies in Motion, Kris Orlowski, Smokey Brights

(Tractor) This bill is just a big, joyful pile of cute local boys sweating on their instruments and trying to get you to Seattle-dance (read: sway energetically from side-to-side, hands still in pockets, feet shuffling) until you're so delirious that you actually dance, and then maybe kiss the person you came with. Try it! Hot Bodies in Motion put some work into getting your hot body in motion, with bluesy rock and drums that move your hips. Kris Orlowski's all snowy poetry. And Smokey Brights' flannely folk-rock makes me goofy-smile and booty-shake without even realizing it. This show should have all the energetic shimmer of campfire sing-alongs, "real" block parties, and Christmas-light-decorated-basement shows. Bring somebody you want to make out with. ANNA MINARD

Dream On, Haiku-Chi, Bucket of Honey

(High Dive) Come early: Bucket of Honey are one of the most fun live bands in Seattle right now. The two-piece (Nate Bogopolsky plays guitar, Annie Jantzer plays—yes—flute, and both quite capably sing) is most recognizable for its performances with the Bushwick Book Club, which have included costumes, props, and some Andrew Lloyd Webber–style belted-out solos. Bucket of Honey have a sense of humor (they put on a porntastic puppet show in the middle of one song), but they also know how to lay down a sexy groove. As for the headliner, Aerosmith cover band Dream On, they're pretty good if you can listen to Aerosmith these days without picturing that photo of Steven Tyler's battered, elderly face that was circling the internet a couple weeks back. PAUL CONSTANT

Parades. Football. Turkey. Family drama. Clichés. Your drunk uncle. Zzzzzzz.

Slow Dance, the MC Type, P Smoov

(Nectar) The greatness of Duke Ellington's "Ko-Ko" is that it's very short (2:43), very dense, and complete. Everything that Ellington wanted to express is expressed. Something similar can be said about "Macy's Parade," the second track on Face Scrunchers Vol. 2, a mixtape by the producer behind local hiphop machines Fresh Espresso and Mad Rad, P Smoov. "Macy's Parade" is very short (90 seconds), dense (it has three chunky parts—a glam intro, groovy middle, and brassy conclusion), and it feels complete. Everything P Smoov needed to express is expressed. "Macy's Parade" is a perfect little gem. And Face Scrunchers Vol. 2 is a packed treasure chest. CHARLES MUDEDE

Tacocat, Cali Giraffes, Atomic Bride, Eighteen Individual Eyes

(Comet) According to ACE (the American Council on Exercise—a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the benefits of physical activity), the average Thanksgiving meal contains upwards of 3,000 calories. ACE also figures that a 160-pound person would have to run at a moderate pace for four hours, swim for five hours, or walk 30 miles to burn it all off. So don't even think about staying in tonight, fat ass. Get yourself to the Comet and dance away some of those mashed potatoes and gravy. I guarantee Tacocat—a band that has nothing to do with tacos and everything to do with fun-time punk rock—will make you move those feet. KELLY O

Wale & Friends, Black Cobain, Logics, Luck-One

(Neumos) Wale came up on the rap-blog circuit with Seinfeld-based mixtapes and indie-sampling MP3s in the same pop-rap lane as Kid Cudi or Wiz Khalifa. Then his major-label debut, Attention Deficit, flopped despite features and/or production by everyone from Gucci Mane and Pharrell Williams (hiphop cred!) to Mark Ronson and Dave Sitek (indie cred!). But after a left-field appearance on Waka Flocka's inescapable "No Hands" and subsequent signing to Rick Ross's Maybach Music Group, the DC rapper has rebranded himself and resurrected his career. His sophomore album, Ambition, released earlier this month, rode a tidal wave of promotional tweets and video blogs to a number-two debut on the US Billboard 200. Wale's new people should probably teach a course on how to run a successful social-media marketing campaign. MIKE RAMOS See also My Philosophy, page 39.

Benefit for Heather Duby: Helms Alee, the Redwood Plan, Mark Pickerel

(Crocodile) See Stranger Suggests, page 21.

Visqueen, Broadcast Oblivion

(Neptune ) See preview, page 33.

Russian Circles, Crypts, Deafheaven

(Neumos) Don't be stupid, dude. The emotions brought forth by the heavy, heavy sound of Russian Circles may be raw and roiling, especially when witnessing them live, but simply calling the Chicago post-metal three-piece "brutal" is boneheaded. The strength of Empros, the trio's fourth full-length, springs from the music's complexity; the flashes of eardrum-pummeling volume and breakneck speed exhilarate because they are extremes in a wide spectrum, not default settings. Propelled by the rhythm section of drummer Dave Turncrantz and bassist (and Stranger contributor) Brian Cook, tempos and time signatures stretch and snap back, yet the through line piercing those sonic swells is a commitment to innovation. Like Michael Gira and Justin Broadrick before them, Russian Circles are forging new forms of beauty. KURT B. REIGHLEY

Girl in a Coma, Fences

(Crocodile) Girl in a Coma features three badass women from San Antonio with a clear and present Morrissey fixation, producing Smiths-influenced jangle pop so convincing that the Great Moz tapped them to open his 2007 tour. Fences features four guys from Seattle led by one Christopher Mansfield, producing strummy, punchy old-fashioned indie rock that has thus far escaped the notice of Morrissey. DAVID SCHMADER

Joshua Roman

(Town Hall) This is not a concert so much as an experience. It is going to be epic yet intimate, and it's such an event that there's a dinner break built in: Joshua Roman is planning to play all six of Bach's Cello Suites. Roman, the former Seattle Symphony principal cello who is still younger than Jesus, is fast becoming the cello hero of the Northwest. The music starts at 4 pm, just a cellist on a stage with his Bach. From 5:45 to 7:15 pm, you may leave to get dinner (Hunt Club, Vito's, and Sushi Kampai are all offering prix fixe menus for Bachgoers), and then the music resumes until 9:30 pm. JEN GRAVES

Africa Hitech, Clicks & Whistles, DJs Justice & Treasure

(Chop Suey) See Data Breaker, page 50.

Blunt Knife, Skullbot

(Comet) Seattle trio Blunt Knife traffic in a forbidding strain of stoner rock that will blacken your Sabbath. You know the drill: Detuned guitars growl demonically, drums thud with menace, and THC-enhanced doom infects every second of the heavy rocking and rolling. Stanwood threesome Skullbot bring a slightly more facile melodic sensibility to bong-friendly rock, and they've been known to cover Mudhoney's deathless rager "Touch Me I'm Sick." Skullbot sound like an archetypal Sub Pop band circa 1989... and their bassist is named Garrett Zipp. So you're probably going to like them. DAVE SEGAL

Thee Oh Sees, Total Control, Grave Babies

(Crocodile) See Stranger Suggests, page 21.

Serge Gainsbourg Tribute: Jane Birkin

(Neptune) See preview, page 37.

Sex Positive Planned Parenthood Benefit: Star Anna, RA Scion, the Volcano Diary, NoRey, Minirex, the Maxines, Land of Pines

(Neumos) Star Anna's voice was designed by the gods to put your heart through the wringer—she has emotional calluses thicker than toenails and a voice stronger than sweet tea. Tonight she takes the stage for an acoustic set to benefit Planned Parenthood, along with local rapper RA Scion (of Common Market), and country-tinged local bands Volcano Diary and NoRey. The benefit is bound to be a honky-tonk thrill ride, and all the proceeds help women gain access to life-saving breast exams and birth control—necessary, as our state continues to cut funding for these services. Remember: Nothing pairs with a bleeding heart better than dancing boots. CIENNA MADRID

Dies Drears, Paul Diamond Blow, Bigger Than Mountains, Disruption

(Funhouse) If you've ever picked up a Fat Wreck Chords or Epitaph Records sampler from the '90s, there's a chance you know what to expect from Seattle-based quartet Dies Drear. That's certainly no insult, as the band plays a super-tight brand of short, catchy, melodic punk rock in the vein of No Use for a Name, Pulley, and Strung Out. There are plenty of thrashy riffs thrown in to accompany vocalist Silo's howl, making things fresh enough while still keeping that nostalgic '90s skate-punk feel. Local antihero Paul Diamond Blow will be opening with a set full of his signature glam-punk solo material. KEVIN DIERS